Origins of Sports Central

The year is 1998, and no one has heard of Google, Facebook, or Twitter. Many still use AOL dialup to get online. That August, a seventh-grader named Marc James decided to launch a website as a hobby. A huge sports fan, choosing sports as the topic was a no-brainer for James. For the first few years, Sports Central was a typical amateur homepage of its time, complete with a black background, scrolling text, and no real plan, as most of the content was re-posted sports news.

But Sports Central was born when James realized that there is a vast amount of knowledgeable, passionate sports fans who don't write professionally, but love the craft and are in need of a platform to be heard. Many of them want to be a part of an established entity rather than starting their own blog and only reaching a tiny audience. These are fanatics who live and die for their sports teams, have knowledgeable opinions, but hold often completely unrelated day jobs. There are far more of these fanatics than ESPN or the Sporting News can ever hire.

Our Mission

That's where Sports Central comes in. Sports Central has taken the old-fashioned concept of a sports magazine and merged it with the 21st century's blogging and social media generation. James' vision was to create a sports media outlet focusing on thought-provoking commentary, insightful editorials, and colorful interpretation.

You won't find dry news, scores, and stats on Sports Central. The stories we publish are unique and original. The Internet has noticed, with over 100,000 readers visiting Sports Central each month, accounting for over 1.5 million page views. It's also been the recipient of international media coverage, from television to print and radio from the likes of the BBC, ESPN, and New York Times (see below). Furthermore, our content reaches thousands of websites across the world through our syndication deals with companies like MoreOver and Topix.

The secret ingredient to Sports Central is the diverse and colorful staff of contributors numbering around 25. James acts as an agent on their behalf, working to promote their work and gain exposure for their names. As a result, numerous former SC contributors have gone on to lucrative journalist positions at major media outlets. If you are interested in contributing, visit our Job Openings page.

Over the years, Sports Central evolved and matured to become a successful business venture. James holds a bachelor's in Business Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and today, Sports Central is one of the pioneering sports fan sites online. Sports Central also boasts a vibrant sports message boards community, a daily publishing schedule, and subscription options via RSS and Twitter.

Contributors

Our staff is comprised of a solid combination of established, savvy columnists and young, up-and-coming columnists whose journalism careers are just taking off. Visit our staff section to see a complete list of our contributors and our Job Openings section for information about how you can make a name for yourself as a sports columnist at SC.

We welcome your feedback. If you want to have your say in our site or a voice your opinion on a specific topic, let us know on our feedback page.

Sports Central is the longest-running independent sports fan publication online, established in 1998 and featured by the BBC, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. Based in Charlotte, NC, we specialize in intelligent sports fan commentary, editorials, and colorful interpretation. More

Say What? March 2 — March 8

"To be honest with you, I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I was expecting the ball. Yes, I was expecting the ball. But these things happen. Like I told a reporter after the game, it's a team sport."
— Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch